Cancer Research

What is SNUC?

Sinonasal Undifferentiated Carcinoma (SNUC) is a rare and highly aggressive neoplasm arising from the
nasal cavity. Only a few hundred patients have ever been diagnosed, and there appear to be only a
handful alive in the US at any one time.

Why are we involved?

Andrei Makovik was employed in the Information Technology department at Cayman Chemical. In November
2004, when he was 37, it was discovered that he had a large, invasive tumor of the nasal sinuses. A
biopsy revealed that the malignancy was SNUC. A large contingent of Andrei’s coworkers organized a
research team to help find an optimal treatment program for this cancer. This work was continued after
Andrei’s death in May of 2006.

Where are we now?

After many years struggling to grow SNUC cells in culture, we have established the unexpected fact that
although SNUC is a vigorous and rapidly growing cancer within a human host, it is almost incapable of
growing in a petri dish. Andy Martin spent almost his entire life post-diagnosis trying to culture his
own SNUC cells in Dr. Curiel’s lab. The Cayman team has also worked for years, trying to coax some life
out of cells that divide much more slowly than normal HEK or other mammalian cells.

The University of Michigan Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery has initiated a study of
whole tumor genome sequencing for SNUC. This study will allow researchers to read the entire DNA
‘instruction manual’ of each SNUC tumor. This information should pinpoint each mutation and alteration
in the normal human sequence and has the potential to identity novel or alternative target-based
theories.

Urgently Needed: Additional fresh frozen SNUC tumor biopsy samples

In order to draw meaningful conclusions, we need to sequence SNUC tumor samples from as many different
patients as possible. It does not matter whether the cancer has been treated, but it is very helpful to
have the tissue frozen immediately on collection. Anyone who is a recently diagnosed SNUC patient or a
friend or relative of one, please contact us at admin@cabrimed.org